Grants for City or township governments - Natural Resources

This funding opportunity provides financial assistance to small U.S. local governments for acquiring specialized firefighting equipment to improve their wildfire response capabilities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local organizations in California for collaborative efforts to control and manage invasive weed species in specific areas.

This program provides low-interest loans to local governments and entities in Illinois for improving wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water infrastructure to enhance public health and environmental quality.

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office administers additional Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program categories to conserve natural areas, critical habitat, riparian corridors, and urban wildlife habitat, and to restore and enhance state lands. The program aims to secure habitat before it is lost and to support restoration where needed. Funding parameters vary by category. Riparian Protection requires a minimum request of 25,000 dollars with no cap. State Lands Restoration and Enhancement requires a minimum of 25,000 dollars and allows up to 1,000,000 dollars for a single site and 500,000 dollars for multi site projects. Urban Wildlife Habitat, Critical Habitat, and Natural Areas follow category rules as published. Eligible work includes land acquisition through perpetual or long term interests and associated incidental costs, development of low impact facilities such as paths, viewing shelters, restrooms, and interpretive elements, and restoration activities such as ecological restoration, shoreline work, fish passage improvements, and native plantings. Some categories allow habitat creation and site stewardship planning. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, towns, federally recognized tribes, nonprofit nature conservancies, special purpose and port districts, and state agencies, as defined per category. Projects are expected to deliver durable conservation outcomes and public benefit consistent with category requirements. Applications are due May 1, 2024 through the state’s process. Grant duration is not stated. Official information is available from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

The Food Safety Education Fund grants program, administered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD), is designed to enhance food safety throughout Michigan. Funded by assessments on licensed food establishments, the program aligns with a mission to protect public health by providing critical food safety training and education. This initiative directly supports the broader goal of ensuring a safe food supply for all Michigan residents. The foundation's strategic priority is to prevent foodborne illness through proactive education and the empowerment of various stakeholders within the food system. The program primarily targets two key beneficiary groups: Michigan consumers and food service establishment employees, as well as agents of the director who enforce food regulations (e.g., local health department sanitarians and MDARD food safety inspectors). The impact goal is to improve food safety knowledge and practices among these groups, ultimately reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses. Eligibility is restricted to Michigan governmental and non-profit organizations and entities, ensuring that the grants support organizations deeply embedded in community health and public service. Producers, marketers, processors, and growers are explicitly excluded to maintain the program's focus on education and training. For the 2024-2025 grant cycle, up to $365,600 is available, with a specific allocation of $242,500 for consumer food safety education and $114,100 for food service establishment employees and regulatory agents. This demonstrates a clear prioritization of widespread public education while also fortifying the knowledge base of those directly involved in food handling and enforcement. The grant duration is typically one year, though multi-year proposals are considered on an individual basis, contingent on future funding availability. Proposals should specifically avoid requesting funding for routine or required training, such as HACCP or ServSafe certification, emphasizing a focus on innovative and supplementary educational initiatives. Proposals are evaluated based on several key criteria, including goals and objectives to improve food safety, assessment of statewide need and audience, measurable outcomes, potential for partnering with other organizations, inclusion of matching funds, and opportunities to build upon previously funded projects. These selection criteria reflect the program's theory of change, which posits that strategic partnerships, evidence-based interventions, and quantifiable results are essential for achieving sustainable improvements in food safety. The expected outcomes include a more informed public, better-trained food service professionals, and more effective enforcement of food safety regulations, all contributing to a safer food environment across Michigan.

This program provides financial assistance to Certified Local Governments in Illinois to develop and improve their local historic preservation initiatives.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW‐OSPR) is seeking grant applications to help fund projects that enhance, restore, or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5,000,000. These grant funds come from CDFW-OSPR’s Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF), which acquires funds from spill violations in accordance with California’s Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. The EEF selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and CDFW‐OSPR. The selection committee is seeking projects with a minimum requested grant award of $500,000. Projects must be completed by April 1, 2031. Multiple projects may be submitted for funding. Disbursement of money from the grant is contingent on the availability of funds in the EEF. To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must 1. Be located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state, 2. Have measurable outcomes within a pre-determined timeframe 3. Be designed to acquire, restore, or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife. Eligible Applicants include nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, state agencies, and departments; and, to the extent permitted by federal law, to federal agencies. All eligible groups and projects are encouraged to apply. For more information, please go to www.wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/Science/Environmental-Enhancement-Fund/About

The Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office (RBFWO), Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Program is soliciting proposals for the completion of a Feasibility Study to assess potential solutions to increase available floodplain habitat in the lower Feather River corridor through Nelson Slough and contribute to improved quality of juvenile salmonid rearing habitat through increased production and availability of food resources. The project location is in the California Department of Fish and Wildlifes Feather River Wildlife Area Nelson Slough Unit. Scope of WorkThis award will provide funds for a work effort consisting of identification, development and feasibility of a floodplain connectivity solution in Nelson Slough primarily benefiting juvenile salmonids. This will include facilitating meetings with the Technical Advisory Committee, composing of members from United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and California Department of Water Resources (CDWR). The USFWS and Project Management Team intend to use information collected from this study to develop a future habitat restoration project at this site. The project tasks and applicant responsibilities are the following: Information gathering and site reconnaissance; Project Management;Data Collection and Evaluation; Develop a multi-dimensional hydrodynamic flow model to assess floodplain inundation frequencies; Develop a sediment transport model; Landowner access; Facilitate, plan, and provide notes from Technical Advisory Committee meetings; andDevelop juvenile salmonid habitat alternatives (i.e., restoring natural processes, side-channel creation through historic oxbow, floodplain connectivity, etc.).Project The CVPIA SIT and Core Team recommended increasing access to juvenile rearing habitat in lower Feather River and Sutter Bypass and identified it as a high priority for FY2020 (2019 Tech Memo). The project will continue to be funded for planning and analysis in FY2025 with potential construction and implementation in FY2026. The proposed project completes a feasibility study to develop and evaluate potential restoration actions at the Nelson Slough Wildlife Area Unit to increase the frequency with which floodplain habitat is inundated. The project would be located on CDFW property at the confluence of the lower Feather River corridor and the Sutter Bypass near Nelson Slough.The project may include lowering and widening an existing slough within setback levees in the lower Feather River corridor downstream of Highway 99 and tying this into the Sutter Bypass; creating multiple swales within the area; and/or lowering the floodplain terrace. This would allow Feather River basin water to flow into the Sutter Bypass with much greater frequency than under current conditions, thereby connecting remnant floodplain (including an abandoned oxbow from the Feather River) in the lower Feather River corridor with existing floodplain in the Sutter Bypass. Nelson Slough, a 750-acre unit of the Feather River Wildlife Area, is adjacent to more than 3,500 acres of conservation properties along the Feather River and approximately 4,500 acres of conservation properties within the Sutter Bypass. The project could increase floodplain habitat available to Feather, Yuba, and Bear River salmonids by up to 1,000 acres or more under certain flow conditions. Additional floodplain inundation resulting from this project could provide rearing benefits to Sacramento River origin juvenile winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, juvenile Butte Creek spring-run Chinook salmon in the Sutter Bypass, Feather River basin spring-run Chinook salmon, as well as Central Valley steelhead and potentially juvenile green sturgeon. Currently, River Partners has been awarded funds through the CVPIA for improving salmon and steelhead juvenile rearing habitat through creation and restoration of up to five miles of side channels on the Lower Feather River adjacent to the Nelson Slough Wildlife Area Unit. This project could potentially be integrated with the River Partners Lower Feather River Side Channel Restoration Project. The Peterson, Coarse Resolution model Report, 2014 (DSM) suggests that supporting increasing juvenile Chinook size at emigration can be beneficial to the outcome of a greater number of returning adults. Post project monitoring may help improve or validate the hypothesis of the DSM. Supplemental InformationOutcome of the project would achieve the following goals: Increase accessible floodplain for Feather, Yuba, and Bear River salmonids by through increased access; Determination of the amount of accessible acres created at various flow ranges compared to existing conditions with various landscape changes;Reduce habitat fragmentation to improve rearing and emigration corridors; Increase and improve the quantity, quality, and diversity of riverine habitat, including floodplain rearing habitat for juvenile fish; Reduce predation impacts of non-native fish species in channel;Increase native riparian vegetation in restored habitat;Contribute to the recovery of federal and state listed fish populations; and Contribute to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act doubling goal for the Feather, Yuba, and Bear Rivers. Questions that will be addressed in the feasibility study are:Up-to-date topographic and bathymetric LiDAR or similar, relative to project area or any other areas of influence. Characterization of the hydrodynamics that would facilitate floodplain activation. Characterization of the hydrodynamics that would facilitate floodplain activation. Prioritize updating physical habitat characterization.Focus on (potential) instream system parameters (longitudinal profiles, cross section installation and revisiting those, etc.). Using a drone to map area pre-project, as well as post project. Assess:Flood conveyance, flood storage and inundation frequency and duration; Fluvial geomorphic processes;Aquatic and riparian habitat;Project costs;Land availability;Sedimentation;Excavated materials and spoil placements; andInfrastructure (i.e. utility pipelines, roadway bridge abutments).Pre-project assessments: This would include assessing hydrology and water quality, as well as biologic monitoring cataloging insect, bird, and other current animal habitat necessary to understand what the area is currently providing and serve as a baseline for assessing post project performance after implementation. Monitoring and evaluation are essential to determine whether restoration projects are implemented correctly and performing as expected so that we achieve the intended benefits. Wildlife Habitat Area Management Objectives: Current acreage of upland habitat shall not be decreased. Must not fragment current available upland habitat.Any side channels created would require a crossing for wildlife and staff to facilitate bird plants. Species of interest include quail, deer, turkey, pheasant, and multiple waterfowl. No restoration activity shall reduce the various hunting opportunities offered by CDFW on the Nelson Slough Unit (i.e., deer hunt season, waterfowl hunt season, quail hunt season, turkey fall hunt season, turkey spring hunt season, and pheasant hunt season). Awardee will coordinate closely with CDFW wildlife area staff to develop alternatives that do not impact these opportunities for the public. Considerations:Consider restoration design and implementation timing with DWR and Sutter County to complement their future levee improvement work at the Nelson Slough Unit and the surrounding reach of the Feather River and Sutter Bypass as described in the Riparian Restoration Plan for the Nelson Slough Unit (2009 River Partners) Department PriortiesThe mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Fish and Aquatic Conservation is an integral program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and supports the mission by working with partners to achieve benefits for aquatic species and their habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plays a key role in addressing the challenges identified in the Biden-Harris administrations priorities. https://www.fws.gov/initiative/directors-priorities Rebuilding the economy;Tackling climate change;Developing a wildlife conservation strategy for the 21st century;Combating Wildlife Trafficking.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is offering a grant ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to municipalities in New York for the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and installation of electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fuel filling stations, with a total of $750,000 available in the seventh round of the Municipal ZEV Rebate Program.

This grant provides funding for habitat restoration and conservation projects in the Klamath River Basin, targeting local governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions to improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitats, and promote sustainable land management practices.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to water and power authorities, as well as nonprofit conservation organizations in the western U.S., to implement projects that enhance water efficiency, promote renewable energy, and improve sustainability in response to water scarcity and climate challenges.

The United States Department of the Interior (Department), Bureau of Reclamations (Reclamation) Desalination and Water Purification Research Program (DWPR) works with Reclamation researchers and partners to develop innovative, cost-effective, and technologically efficient ways to desalinate and treat water. DWPR funding plays a critical role in iterating an idea from the lab to a real-world demonstration, yielding products that serve the water treatment community and attract commercialization interest. Reclamation is interested in research where the benefits are widespread but where private-sector entities are not able to make the full investment and assume all the risks. Reclamation is also interested in research that has a national significancewhere the issues are of large-scale concern and the benefits accrue to a large sector of the public. The goal of the DWPR program is to address the need to reduce the costs, energy requirements, and environmental impacts of treating impaired and unusable water. The program also aligns with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, by investing in development and application of advanced water treatment technologies that expand access to otherwise unusable water resources, thereby increasing water supply flexibility under the risks of long-term climate change and shorter-term drought. For further information on the DWPR Program, see www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr.

CDFW may make grants to, reimburse, or enter into contracts or other agreements, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1571, with public and private entities, including universities, nonprofit organizations, and California Native American tribes, as defined in Section 21073 of the Public Resources Code, for the use of the funds from the Upland Game Bird Account to carry out the purposes of Fish and Game Code §3684, including related habitat conservation projects. Any proposal fitting the criteria in this statue is qualified to be funded. 

This program provides funding to New Hampshire public entities and eligible private organizations to replace older diesel vehicles and equipment with cleaner alternatives, reducing harmful emissions and promoting sustainable transportation.

This grant program, offered by the Minnesota Department of Education, aims to support the Minnesota's LSTA Five-Year Plan (2023-2027) by funding projects that align with Goals A, B, and C. The overarching mission is to reduce barriers to access, promote equity, showcase libraries' contributions to the community, and empower Minnesota's library workforce. This aligns with the state's broader strategic priorities of closing racial and economic achievement gaps and supporting the goals of the World's Best Workforce, as highlighted in Goal C. The target beneficiaries of this grant are legally established public libraries, library cooperatives or consortia, libraries in Minnesota’s public schools or public colleges and universities, and special libraries operated by Minnesota registered 501(c)(3) organizations. The impact goals are centered around increasing collective impact through coalition building (Goal A), reimagining access through partnerships (Goal B), and changing the narrative to better showcase libraries' vital contributions to thriving communities (Goal C). The program prioritizes and focuses on new projects that can serve as models or pilots. However, it also considers new phases of existing projects or ongoing projects that reach new audiences, incorporate new methods, or significantly expand their reach. Collaboration and partnerships with community-based organizations are highly encouraged, reflecting a strategic priority to leverage collective efforts for greater impact, though not a strict requirement for application. Expected outcomes and measurable results are tied to the achievement of the LSTA Five-Year Plan's goals, particularly in areas like reducing access barriers and promoting equity. While specific metrics are not detailed in the provided text, the focus on "changing the narrative" and "increasing collective impact" suggests qualitative and quantitative improvements in community engagement, library service utilization, and workforce development. The grant period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, provides a timeframe for achieving these outcomes, with grant awards ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 to support these initiatives.

The City Parks and Open Space Grant, funded by the Iowa Legislature via REAP funds derived from gaming revenues, is a competitive grant program allocating 15% of REAP funds to cities across Iowa. The primary mission of this program is to support the creation and enhancement of city parks and open spaces. This aligns with a broader strategic priority to invest in community green infrastructure and quality of life initiatives within the state. The target beneficiaries of this grant are cities throughout Iowa, with grant distributions based on city size categories. The program's impact goals center on fostering healthier, more vibrant communities by increasing access to and improving the quality of natural recreational areas. It specifically excludes athletic fields, sports facilities, pools, and playgrounds to maintain a focus on passive recreation and natural landscapes. The program's priorities and focus are clearly defined: to support city parks and open spaces. This includes projects that enhance biodiversity, provide environmental benefits, and offer residents opportunities for outdoor enjoyment and relaxation. The competitive nature of the grant ensures that funds are directed towards projects demonstrating the greatest potential for impact and alignment with the program's objectives. Expected outcomes include an increase in the total acreage of protected and improved parkland and open space within Iowa cities. Measurable results could include the number of new or renovated park facilities, increased public engagement with green spaces, and enhancements to local ecosystems. The underlying theory of change is that by investing in natural public spaces, the program will contribute to improved public health, environmental sustainability, and overall community well-being, reflecting a strategic belief in the value of accessible green infrastructure.

The City of Austin's Equity Office is offering grants ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to support community-driven initiatives, particularly grassroots organizations, that address immigrant inclusion, solidarity with unhoused people, and anti-displacement efforts in the Austin-Travis County area, with priority given to applicants with annual operating budgets not exceeding $500,000.

This funding opportunity supports public agencies, nonprofits, and tribal entities in California's Sierra-Cascade Region to implement wildfire prevention and forest resilience projects that benefit vulnerable communities.

The BLM Arizona Cultural Heritage Partnership Program (CHPP) supports projects advancing the Department of Interior's priorities, including addressing the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands, advancing environmental justice, and investing in a clean energy future. Projects should focus on public archaeology education, the development of educational programs, repatriation of Native American remains, and cultural resource inventory. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, non-profits, state and local governments, and Indian tribal governments. The program aims to support projects that use science, data, and traditional knowledge to enhance economic opportunities for communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities.

This program provides financial assistance to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies in Connecticut for acquiring land designated as open space or vital for water supply.